How To Prevent Identity Theft By taking these steps, you can deter ID theft from the source: Don’t give out personal info over the phone, through the mail or over the internet. Safeguard your personal information in a secure place at home. Shred documents with personal information Protect your SS#. Pick up new checks at the credit union versus having them mailed to your home. Mail bills from locked mailbox or Post Office Beware of Shoulder Surfers at ATM’s or Stores More helpful tips... Use electronic deposit of paychecks, dividends, pension and Social Security payments and tax refunds Don’t authorize payments over the phone unless you call a specific/known creditor Keep a list in a safe place of credit/share draft account numbers, expiration dates, and phone numbers to report theft. Your Social Security Number Your Social Security number has since come to be used as a unique identifier for individuals within the United States. Therefore, it is important to keep it safe and to use it only when it is necessary. Never give your SSN, account numbers, passwords, mother’s maiden name, birth date, PIN, or personal information over the phone, unless you initiated the call Keep SSN off of driver’s license Don’t carry SS card in wallet unless you need it that day Don’t use last 4 digits of SSN as a Personal Identification Number (PIN). Memorize PINs! Don’t let clerks handwrite SSN on checks as ID Don’t have SSN preprinted on Checks (re-order them without SSN) Know when you have to give your SSN and when you don’t! Must Give SSN Credit Union/banks Employers Income tax records Vehicle registration Credit bureau reports College records Loan applications May want to refuse Over the phone On personal checks On driver’s license On club membership As ID for store purchases As general identification Protect Your Computer Install and update current virus software Install firewall software to partially guard against spyware To see if computer is infected with spyware, install spyware detection and removal software (such as Spybot Search and Destroy, or Ad-aware) Install a spam blocker, free from antiphishing.org Use a secure browser-it scrambles information you send over the internet More tips to protect your computer... Don’t download files or open attachments from strangers Only open attachments your expecting Don’t click on link from unfamiliar senders Use strong passwords-combination of letter (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols Avoid automatic log-in; always log off when done Securely erase your hard drive before disposing of your computer Re-format hard drive (reinstall Windows), or Use hard drive erase utility Online Prevention Tips Shop only companies you know Use secure browser (look for closed padlock or unbroken key at bottom of browser window-not payment page) Pay only with credit card, or with third-party intermediary (you have some protections if merchandise is defective, not as described, or is not received at all) Consider using a separate credit card for online purchases, to track purchases easily